Book X, chapters 7–13: Distillation

CHAP. VII.

How to separate Oyl from Water.

VVHen we extract Oyls, they run down into the Receiver together with the VVater: wherefore they must be separated, left the flegm, being mixed with the Oyl do weaken the vertue of it: that it may obtain its full vigour, it must be purified by Distillation and Separation: for being put into a Retort or broad Still, over a gentle fire, the VVater will run out, & the remaining Liquor will be clear Oyl. This work of Separation is very laborious: yet there are very artificial Vessels invented, by the help of which, all the VVater may be drawn off, and the flegm; onely pure Oyl will remain. Prepare a Glass-Vessel: let it be broad and grow narrower by degrees downwards, until it come to a point, like unto a Tunnel. Put the distilled VVater, which consisteth of the flegmatick VVater and Oyl into this Vessel; let it stand a while: the Oyl will swim on the top, and the VVater will sink down to the bottom. But stop the mouth of it with your finger; so that removing it away, the VVater may first run out, and the Oyl sink down by degrees. VVhen it is descended into the narrow part, so that the Oyl becometh next to your finger; stop the hole, and let the Orifice be but half open for the VVater to pass out: when it is all run out, empty the Oyl into another small Vessel. There is another very ingenious Instrument found out for to separate Oyl, with a great belly and a narrow neck, which a little nose in the middle. Pour the Oyl mixed with Water into the Vessel, the Water will possess the bottom, the Oyl the neck. Drop Water gently into it, until the Oyl ascend up unto the nose: then encline the Vessel downward, and the Oyl will run out pure and unmix'd. When you have emptied out some, drop in more Water, until the Oyl be raised again unto the nose: then stop it down, and pour out the rest of the Oyl. But if the Oyl settle to the bottom, and the Water swim on the top, as it often hapneth, filtrate it into a broad dish, or any other Vessel with a cotten-cloth: the Water will run out, and the Oyl will remain in the bottom very pure.

CHAP. VIII.

How to make an Instrument to extract Oyl in a greater quantity and without danger of burning.

VVE may with several sorts of Instruments, use several kindes of Extractions: among the rest, I found out one, whereby you may draw Oyl with any the most vehement fire, without any danger of burning; and a greater quantity, then by any other: and it is fit for many other uses also. Prepare a Vessel in the form of an Egg, of the capacity of half an ordinary Barrel: let the mouth of it, be of a convenient bigness to receive in your arm, when there shall occasion to wash it, or to fill it with several sorts and degrees of things to be distilled. Let it be tinned within; then set a brass head upon it of a foot high, with a hole in the bottom fit to receive the neck of the lower Vessel, and stop the mouth of it exactly. Out of the top of the head, there must arise a pipe of Brass, fifteen or twenty foot long, bended into several angles, that it may take up less room, and be more convenient to be carried. The other end of this Pipe, must be fastened into the belly of another Vessel, which must be of less capacity then the former, but of the same figure. Fix a head upon this also, with a Pipe of the same length, and bended like the former; whose lower end shall be received into another straight Pipe, which passing through the middle of a Barrel, at last falls into the Receiver. The manner of using it is this: Put your Leaves, Stalks, or Seeds, being beaten small, into the Brass-pot, and pour as much Fountain-water

[Figure]

on as will cover them a handful or five large fingers over; then set on the head, and stop the joynts very close. Put the other end of the Pipe into the other Pot, and joynt them exactly: then set on the other head, and fasten the lower end of its crooked Pipe into that straight one; which passing through the Barrel, runneth into the Receiver. If the joynts be anywhere faulty, stop them with Flax, and paste them with Wheat-flour, and the white of an Egg; then rowl them about and tie them close with Fillets, cut out of a Bladder: for when the vapors are forced by the heat of the fire, they are so attenuated, that they will break forth through the least rime or chink, in spite of all your endeavors. Fill the Barrel with cold water, and when it beginneth to grow hot, draw it out through a Cock at bottom, and supply fresh water, that the Pipe may always be kept cool. At length, make the Pot boyl, at first with a gentle fire; then encrease it by degrees, until the vehemency of the heat, doth make the vapors hiss, as it were ready to break the Pipes, as they run thorow them; so they will be elevated thorow the retorted Pipes, and leave the phlegmatick water in the lower Vessel; till passing through the cold Pipe, they be condensed into Liquor, and fall down into the Receiver. If the water do consume away in the boyling, pour in more being first warmed, thorow a little Pipe which the Pot must have on one side with a Spigget to it, for this purpose: but be sure to stop the Spigger in very close, that there may be no vent. Afterwards, separate the Oyl from the Water, sublime and purifie it in another Vessel. Of all the Instruments that ever I saw, not any one extracteth a greater quantity of Oyl, and with less labour and industry then this. Thus you may without any fear of burning, draw Oyl out of Flowers, Leaves, Spices, Gums, and VVood with the vehementest fires; as also out of Juniper and Laurel-Berries.

CHAP. IX.

The Description of a Descendatory, whereby Oyl is extracted by Descent.

I Cannot refrain from discovering here an Instrument found out by my own private experience, which I hope will be of no small profit to the Ingenious, by which they may draw Oyl out of any the least things without any fear of burning. For there are many tenuous, oyly Flowers, as of Rosemary and Juniper, and other things, as Musk, Amber, Civet, Gum, and such-like: out of which may be drawn Oyls very sweet and medicinable: but they are of so thin a substance, that there is a great hazard of burning them, when they are forced by the heat of the fire, without which, neither fat things will be elevated, nor Oyl extracted. Therefore to remedy these inconveniences, I have invented an Instrument, by which Oyl shall descend without any labour or danger of burning. Let a Vessel be made of Brass, in the form of an Egg, two foot high, and of the same breadth: let it be divided towards the top, of which the upper part must serve for a cover, and be so fitted to be received into the lower part, that the joynts may closely fall in one another, and be exactly stopt. In the lower part, towards the middle, about half a foot from the mouth; let there be a Copper-plate fitted, as it were the midriff; so that it may easily be put and taken out: in which must be made three hollow places to receive the bottom of three retorted Vessels, the rest of the plate must be pervious, that the boyling VVater and hot Spirits may have passage to rise upwards. Out of the sides of the Vessel there must be three holes, through the which the necks of the Retorts may pass, being glued and fastned to their Pipes with Flax, and tied with Fillets of Bladders: so that not the least Air, much less any VVater may flie out. VVhen you prepare to work, fill the Glass-Retorts with the things you intend to still, thrust the necks thorow the holes outward, and lay their bodies in the prepared hollowness of the cross-plate, somewhat elevated. If there remain any void space between the necks, and the sides of the holes they pass through, stop it with Flax, and tie it about with Fillets of Bladder, and fill the Vessel with with water, within three fingers up to the cross-plate. The Vessel, being covered, and the joynts well stopt and glued, and bound about; so that the force of the vapours arising, may not burst it open, and scald the Faces of the by-standers, kindle the fire by degrees, until it become very vehement: then wil the vapors make a great nose, almost sufficient to terrifie one, and first VVater, then VVater and Oyl will distil out. I cannot contain my self from relating also another Instrument invented for the same purpose. Make an oval Brass-Vessel, as I advised before, with a hole bored thorow the bottom; to which fasten a pipe that may arise up to the mouth of the Vessel, let the mouth of it be wide, like a trumpet or tunnel; so that the long neck of a Gourd-Glass may pass through the Pipe of it, and the wide mouth of the Vessel under, may by degrees receive the swelling parts of the neck. Adapt a cover to this Vessel that it may be close stopt and luted as we said before. You must make a Furnace on purpose for this use: for the fire must not be made in the bottom, but about the Vessel.

[Figure]

The use is this: Fill the Glass with Flowers or other things; put in some wire Lute-strings after them, that they may not fall out again when the Glass is inversed. Thrust the neck thorow the Brass-Pipe: set the Vessel on the Furnace, and fill it with Water round about the arising Pipe: put on the Cover, and plaister it about: set the Receiver under the Furnace that it may catch the dropping Water and Oyl: then kindle the fire about the sides of the Pot, the violence of which, will elevate vapors of burning water; which, beating against the concave part of the Cover, will be reverberate upon the bottom of the Gourd-Glass, whose fervent heat, will turn the Water and Oyl into vapor, and drive it down into the Receiver. I will set down some examples of those things which I made trial of my self. As,

How to extract Oyl out of Rosemary Flowers.

Fill the Retorts with the Leaves and Flowers of Rosmary, and set them in the Brass-Furnace: the fire being kindled will force out first a Water, and afterward a yellow Oyl, of a very strong and fervent odor; a few drops of which, I have made use of in great sicknesses, and driving away cruel pains. You may extract it easier, if you macerate the Flowers or Leaves in their own, or Fountain-water, for a week. In the same manner

Oyl of Citron-Pill

is extracted. When Citrons are come to perfect ripeness, shave off the peal with a gross Steal-File: put the Filings into a Pot, and set them to macerate ten days in dung, being close stopt up: then accomodate them to the Furnace, and kindle fire; an Oyl mixt with water distils out, of a most pleasant sent. The same may be done with Orange and Lemmon-peal. In places where Flowers and Fruits are not to be had, they cut off the tops of the Branches and Tindrils, and slice them into four-inch-pieces, and so distil them.

Oyl of Roses, and Citron-Flowers

is drawn after the same sort; a most excellent Oyl, and of an admirable savour. But because the Oyl is very hardly distinguished from the Water, pour the Water into a long Glass with a narrow neck, and expose it to the Sun being close stopt: the Oyl will by little and little, ascend to the top, which you must gather off with a Feather or pour out by inclining the Glass.

Sweet Oyl of Berjamin

is to be made, by putting Benjamin into a Glass-Retort, and fitting it to the Furnace: then encrease the fire without any fear of combustion, and you will obtain a fragrant Oyl, to be used in precious Oyntments. So Oyl of Storax, Calamite, and Labdanum, and other Gums. So also,

Oyl of Musk, Amber, and Civet

cannot be extracted more comodiously by any Instrument, Art, or Labour, then by the aforesaid; for they are of so thin a substance, that they can hardly endure any the least heat, without contracting a scurvy base stink of burning; yet by this Artifice, it may be drawn out very safely. I see nothing to the contrary, but that we may extract Oyl out of Spices also, very securely by the same Artifice.

CHAP. X.

How to extract Oyl out of Gums.

THere is a peculiar Extraction of Oyl out of Gums; which, although they require the same means almost as the former, that is, the mixing them with Water[…], and macerating them for many days, then putting them into a Brass pot, and by a vehement fire, forcing out the Oyl with the Water; yet doth it come out but in a small quantity of an excellent odor, and free from the stink of the fire; as thus they usually deal with Opoponax, Ga[…]anum, Storax, and others. But they are distilled also another way, by Ashes; which doth require the diligent attendance of the Work-man, and a singular judgement and provident dexterity in him: for it is rather an ingenious then painful Operation. I will set down an example,

How to extract Oyl out of Benjamin.

Macerate the Benjamin in Rose-water: or omitting that, put it into a Retort: set the Retort into a Pot full of Sand, so that it may fill up the space between the side of the Pot, and bottom of the Retort: put the neck of it into a Recei[…]er with a wide belly: kindle the fire by little and little; and without any haste or violence of heat, let the Water distil: by and by increase the fire, that the Oyl may flow out; yet not too intensely for fear of burning; but moderately between both: the oyly vapors will straight fill all the Receiver; then will they be condensed and turn into flakes, like Wool; and sticking to the sides and middle of the Glass, present you with a pleasant spectacle: by and by they are turned into little bubbles, so into Oyl, and fall down to the bottom: keep the fire in the same temper, until all the Feces are dried; then remove it, or fear of ustion.

Oyl of Storax

is drawn in the same manner; but if the Storax be liquified, it will run with a gentle fire: it is of a strong and quick od[…]r. Calamites requires a more lively fire, such as was used in Benjamin, and a diligent attendance: for too much fire will cause adustion in it.

Oyl of Ladanum.

Beat the Ladanum, and macerate it fifteen days in Aqua Vitae, or Greek-Wine; at least ten: for the lon[…]er it infuseth, the sooner it will run into Oyl: draw it with a gentle fire, it will distil out by drops after the Water.

Oyl of Turpentine

is extracted easily; for it floweth with a gentle fire: but beware in the operation, that no smoak do evaporate out of it; for it presently will take fire, and with a magnetick vertue attract the flame, and carry it into the Retort, where it will hardly be extinguished again: which will happen in the extraction of

Oyl of Olives, and Linseed Oyl.

If you distil common Oyl, it will hardly run; yet en reasing the fire, it will come out in six hours: you must be very careful, that the Ashes and Pot do not wax too hot: for if the Oyl within take fire, it will break the Vessels, and flie up, that it can hardly be quenched, and reach the very cieling; so that it is best to operate upon Oyls in arched Rooms. From herce Artificers of Fire-works, learned to put Oyl in their Compositions, because it quickly taketh fire, and is hardly extinguished.

CHAP. XI.

Several Arts how to draw Oyl out of other things.

THe Nature of things being diverse, do require divers ways of distilling Oyl out of them: for some being urged by fire, are sublimed, and will not dissolve into Liquor; others cannot endure the fire, but are presently burned. From which variety of tempers, there must arise also a variety in the manner of Extraction. I will set down some examples of these, that ingenious Artists may not despair to draw Oyls out of any thing whatever.

Oyl out of Honey

is hard enough to be extracted: for it swells up with the least heat, and riseth in bubbles; so that it will climbe up thorow the neck of the Retort, though it be never so long, into the Head, and fall down into the Receiver before it can be dissolved into Liquor or Oyl. There are divers remedies found out to help this: Take a Glass with a short wide neck, put your Honey into it, and stop it in with Flax quite over-laid two fingers thick. This will repress the Honey when it swelleth and froaths, and make it sink down again. Clear Water will drop out at first: but when it beginneth to be coloured, take away the Receiver, and set another in the place; so keep the Waters severally. Or put Honey into any Vessel, so that it may fill it up four large fingers above the bottom, and cover it close, as the manner is: then dig a hole in the ground, and set the Vessel in, as far as the Honey ariseth: then lute it, and plaister it about four fingers above the Ground, and drie it well; kindle your Coals round about it; then will the Honey grow hot, and by degrees stick to the Pot: but because the heat is above it, it cannot swell up, but very easily distilleth Water and Oyl; first, yellow, next reddish, until the Honey be turned into a very Coal. There is another way, which may be performed by any Woman: Pour the Honey into a new Pipkin, and cover it; dig a hole, and bury it abroad about a cubit under Ground; there let it putrifie for ten days: then take it up, and there will swim on the top of the Honey a Chrystal Liquor, which you must strain out, and stop the Pipkin again, and bury it as before. About a week after, view it again, and strain out the over-flowing water; so the third and fourth time, until all the Honey be converted into water, which you may see by uncovering the Pipkin: distil the Water according to Art, and it will yield Water and Oyl easily enough.

Oyl of Camphire.

Beat Champhire very small, and put it into common Aqua Fortis, made of Salt-Peter, and Coppress distilled and clarified: set the Pot in a Bath or Stove for half a day, and you will see a cleer bright Oyl swim on the top of the Water: incline the Pot gently, and pour it off, and clarifie it in a Retort; so shall you have a beautiful, thin and sweet Oyl.

Oyl of Paper and Rags.

Rowl up your Paper like a Pyramide, as Grocers do, when they lap up any thing to lay by, or send abroad: clip the edges even; and taking hold of the top of it with a pair of Pincers; set it on fire with a Candle; and while it flameth, hold it downward over a broad dish half a finger distant from the bottom, so that the smoak may hardly flie out: and still as the fire consumes the Paper, let your hand sink, that may always keep the same distance from the Dish. When it is quite burnt, you will find[…] a yellow Oyl, stinking of burning, upon the bottom of the dish. Gather it up, and reserve it: it is excellent to drive away freckles and pimples in womens faces, being applied. Almost in the same manner

Oyl of Wheat.

Lay your Wheat plain upon a Marble-Morter, being turned with the bottom upwards, and cover it with a plate of Iron, almost red hot, and press it hard: out of the sides there will be expressed an Oyl of a yellow colour, and stinking of burning, which is good for the same purposes; that which is good to refresh decayed Spirits, is prepared another way.

CHAP. XII.

How to extract Oyl by Descent.

THe way is common and vulgar to all; for it is done by Ustulation: but the Oyls are of a most offensive savor, and can be used only in outward Medicines; for they are not to be taken inwardly. Prepare a Pipkin made of tough Clay, and able to endure fire, well vernished within, that there may be no suspicion of running out: let the bottom be full of holes, set upon another earthen Pipkin, whose mouth is large enough to receive the bottom of the upper Pipkin; lute them close together. Fill the Pipkin with slices of your VVood: cover it, and lute it. Then dig a hole, and set the Pipkins into it, and fling in the Earth about it, and tread it down close, and throw Sand over it two inches thick: make a gentle fire just over the Pipkin; which you must encrease by degrees, until the Pipkin have stood there a whole day. After this, remove the fire: and when the heat is spent, dig up the Pipkins, and you will finde the Oyl strained down into the lower; which you must distil again in a Retort, to purifie it from filth. To add something to the former invention, I always do thus: I make a Tressel with Legs of two foot in length. There must a hole be bored in the Plank of it, to receive the neck of the Limbeck. Upon the Tressel fasten an Iron-plate to keep the VVod from burning. Underneath, about the middle of the Feet, fasten a Board, upon which the Receiver may stand, and meet with the neck of the inversed Vessel; which being filled with the materials to be stilled, kindle a fire about it. Therefore if you would extract

Oyl out of Lignum Guaiacum,

fill it with the Dust of Lignum Guaiacum, and lute it close with Straw-Mortar, twice or thrice double: when it is dried in the Sun, put into the neck, wire Strings, and thrust it through the hole of the Tresse into the mouth of the Receiver, and mortar them together. Then kindle the fire on the Plate about the body of the Limbeck, at some distance at first, and by degrees nigher and hotter: but let it not be red hot, until you think it be all burned: then remove the fire, and let it rest a while, until it be cold, and you shall finde in the lower Vessel a black stinking burnt Oyl. In this manner is Oyl drawn out of Juniper, Cypress, and Lignum Aloes: but in this last, you must use more Art and diligence, and a gentle fire, because it is mixed in Oyntments.

CHAP. XIII.

Of the Extraction of Essences.

VVE have delivered the several kindes of Extraction of Oyls, now we are come to Quintessences, the Extraction of which, we will here declare. The Paracelsians define a Quintessence to be the Form, or Spirit, or Vertue, or Life, separated from the dross and elementary impurities of the Body. I call it the Life, because it cannot be extracted out of the Bones, Flesh, Marrow, Blood, and other Members: for wanting Life, they want also the Quintessence. I say, Separated from elementary impurities, because when the Quintessence is extracted, there remaineth only a mass of Elements void of all power: for the Power, Vertue, and Medicinable qualities, are not the Elements, but in their Essences, which yet are Elements, and contain the vertue of the Elements in them, in the highest degree: for being separated from the grosness of their bodies, they become spiritual, and put forth their power more effectually and strongly when they are freed from them, then they could while they were clogged with the Elements. They are small in bulk, but great in operation. The strength of Quintessences, is not to be judged by the degrees of their qualities, but of their operation: for those which soonest and clearliest root out a disease, are reckoned in the first degree. So the essence of Juniper, is reckoned the first degree of operation, because it cureth the Leprosie by purging the Blood onely. The essence of Ambar in the second, because it expelleth poyson, by purging the Heart, Lungs and Members. Antimony in the third, because (beside the former vertues) it also purgeth the Body. But Gold of it self alone, hath all those vertues, and reneweth the Body. Wherefore the fourth degree and greatest power, is attributed to it. Bet how to extract these Essences is a very difficult work; for they may be either Oyl, or Salt, or Water, or of Extraction: some, by Sublimation; others, by Calcination; others, by Vinegar, Wine, Corrosive Waters, and such like. So that several kinde of menstruums are to be provided according to the nature and temper of things. I will set down some Rules for the chusing of proper menstruums. Let the menstrum be made of those things which are most agreeable to the things to be extracted, and as simple as may but: for Essences ought not to be compounded, mixed, or polluted with any thing; be pure, simple and immaculate. But if there be a necessity of adding some thing let them be separated after extraction. If the Essence of any Metal be to be extracted by Corrosives, separate the Salt from the Waters, after the work is done, and use those Salts only, which will easily be taken out again: Vitriol and Allom are very difficult to be separated, by reason of their earthy substance. Moreover, use not a watry menstruum, for a watry Essence; nor an oyly menstruum, for an oyly Essence because being of like natures, they are not easily separated: but watry Menstruums for oyly Essences: and so on the contrary. I will set before you some examples in Herb, fat of Flesh, and other things; by which you may learn of your self how to perform it in the rest. There are an infinite number of Essences, and almost many ways of Extraction: of them, some I shall shew unto you, whereof the first shall be

How to extract the Essence out of Civet, Musk, Ambar, and other Spices.

Take Oyl of Ben, or of Almonds, mix Musk, Ambar, Cinnamon, and Zedoary, well beaten in it: put it in a Glass-bottle, and set it in the Sun, or in Balneo, ten dayes: then strain from it the Dregs, and the Essence will be imbibed into the Oyl; from which you may separate it in this manner: Take Aqua Vitae, and if it be an odoriferous Body, Fountain-water, three or four times distilled, mix with the aforesaid Oyl, and stir it about, and so let it digest for six dayes: then distil it over Cinders: the hot Water and the Essence will ascend, and the Oyl remain in the bottom without any sent. Afterwards, distil the Aqua Vitae, and the Essence in Balneo, until the VVater be evaporated, and the Essence settle to the bottom in the form of an Oyl. If you will do it with Aqua Vitae alone, slice the Roots of Zedoary, beat them and infuse them in so much Aqua Vitae as will cover them three fingers over in a Glass Bottle: let them ferment for ten dayes according to Art; then distil them over Cinders, or in Sand, until nothing but VVater run out; yet have a care of burning it. Take the distilled Liquor, set it in Balneo; and with a gentle fire, let the Aqua Vitae evaporate, and the Quintessence of Zedoaay will settle in the bottom, in a liquid form Next

To extract Essence out of Flesh.

Out of three Capons, I have oftentimes extracted an Essence in a small quantity, but of great strength and nutriment, wherewith I have recovered life and strength to sick persons, whose Stomacks were quite decayed, and they almost dead for want of nourishment, having not been able to eat any things in three dayes. Take Chickens, or Hens, or Capons; pluck them, and draw their Guts out; beat them very well, and let them boyl a whole day in a Glass-Vessel, close stopt, over warm Embers, until the bones, and flesh, and all the substance be dissolved into Liquor: then strain it into another Vessel, through a Linen-cloth, and fling away the Dregs: for the remaining Bones are so herest of Flesh, sent, or any other quality, that a Dog will not so much as smell to them; which is an assured Argument that their goodness is boyled out. Pour the strained Liquor into a Glass-bottle, and dissolve it into vapor in a gentle Bath; the Essence will remain in the bottom, either hard, or soft, like an Oyntment, as you please, of a most admirable vertue, and never sufficiently to be commended.

To extract Essences out of Salts.

Take Salt and calcine it according to Art: if it be volatile, burn it, and grinde it very small: lay the Powder upon a Marble in a moyst Cellar, and set a Pan under it to receive it as it dissolveth: let it ferment in that pan for a month; then set it in Balneo, and with a gentle fire let it distil: cast away the sweet Water, that comes from it, and set that which remains in the bottom, to ferment another month, then distil out the sweet Water, as before: and do this, while any sweet VVater will run from it: keep it over the fire until the moysture be all consumed; and then what remains settled in the bottom, is the Quintessence of Salt; which will scarcely arise to two ounces out of a pound.

To extract Essences out of Herbs.

Beat the Herbs, and set them to ferment in dung for a month, in a convenient Glass-Bottle: then distil them in Balneo. Again, set them in dung for a week, and distil them in Balneo again; and thus macerate them so long as they will yield any Liquor: then pour the distilled Water upon the Herbs again, and distil them in this Circulation for six dayes, which will make it of a more lively colour: draw of the VVater by Balneum and the Essence must then be expressed out in a press: ferment it in dung for five days, and it will yield you the sent, colour and vertues of the Herbs in perfection. A way to extract

The Essence of Aqua Vitae.

It is a thing bragged of by thousands; but not effected by any. I will not omit the description of it, which I have found out, together with a Friend of mine very knowing in Experiments, by the assistance of Lulius. Provide some rich, generous, old VVine, bury it in dung for two months, in large Bottles close stopt and luted, that they may not have the least vent. The whole business dependeth on this: for if this be not carefully look to, you will lose both your cost, and your labour: the month being past, distil it in an ordinary Stillatory, reserve the Spirits by themselves. The Dregs and Faeces of the Wine must be buried again, and the Spirits be distilled out as before, and reserved by themselves. Distil the Faeces until they settle like Honey or Pitch: then pour on the phlegm upon them, wash them, and lay them to dry: then put them into a Porters, or Glass-makers, Furnace, and with a vehement fire burn them into white Ashes: wet them with a little VVater, and set them in the mouth of the Furnace, that they may be converted

[Figure]

into Salt. There is no better mark to know the perfection of your work, then by casting some of it on a red hot Plate of Iron: if it melt and evaporate, it is well done; otherwise, you must rectifie it. Mix the Salt with water, and put it into a Glass bottle with a long neck; stop it with Cork and Parchment: then set on the Head, and kindle the fire; the force of which, will carry it up thorow all the stoppage into the Head, and there it sticks to the sides like durt; the VVater will remain quiet in the bottom, in which you must again mingle the Salt; and so by a continual Circulation, draw it out of it self, until it be divested of all its Grosness, and obtain a more thin and subtile Essence.